The taxanes are an important class of anticancer agents. In particular, Taxol™ (paclitaxel) is an effective anticancer agent, especially in the treatment of ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. However, there is still a significant need in the art for improvement in the efficacy of paclitaxel therapy, both in terms of the proportion of patients who respond to therapy and the survival benefit imparted. Moreover, administration of Taxol has side effects, including reducing immune function by reducing natural killer (NK) cell activity.
In an attempt to improve efficacy, paclitaxel is sometimes used in combination with other anticancer agents. For example, carboplatin in the treatment of NSCLC. Such combinations can have an additive benefit or increased response rate, but can tend to also combine the side effect profiles of each agent. Other agents have been researched, for example, bis(thiohydrazide amides) have been tested in animal models as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,800,660, 6,762,204, U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/345,885 filed Jan. 15, 2003, and 10/758,589, Jan. 15, 2004, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
However, there is still an urgent need for particular combination therapies that can enhance the antitumor effects of paclitaxel without further increasing side effects suffered by patients.